Poets & Writers Magazine

If you aren't familiar with Poets & Writers magazine and are a creative writer working on building your publication list, you should check it out. Oboler Library has copies of it! The current issue is in the current display area on the 1st floor, and back issues are up on the 3rd floor with the call number PER PS129 C55.

Poets & Writers has numerous articles about writers and writing. Every spring they feature a guide to all the summer writing conferences. I have the Sept.-Oct. issue beside me now and am noticing articles on: small press innovation, the chapbook renaissance, how to bind a chapbook two differnet wasy, agents and editors, articles on Lorrie Morrie and Anselm Berrigan, and much more. One of the highlights is the Deadlines section with numerous publication calls, awards, and grants.

So check this out! It's great for professional writers. If you're looking for something a little more mainstream, The Writer and Writer's Digest are also on the Current Display shelf, with older issues on the 3rd floor.

Blogs for Writers--making it easier

Since Bethany will soon announce the resurrection of the Pocatello Readings blog, I wanted to let readers in on an easy way to check it regularly. Did you know that you could make all your blogs go to one place, and then you only have to check once for all new items? If you establish a free account with Bloglines, you can do that. (Don't be perplexed like I just was by the closeness of the two site names, Blogger and Bloglines. I just went to the wrong site twice.) Bloglines will bring together all of the blogs that you want to look at regularly. It's easy to sign up for a free account, and then if you just check it once or twice a week, you can stay current with all the new material. I'd recommend establishing the Bloglines account first, because many of the blog pages will have an easy way to add it to to Bloglines--though cut and pasting isn't that hard either.

I have several suggestions and a mega-site for blogs you may want to connect with. You can look at them and then just copy and paste the web site into the add feeds section, if you like them.

Pocatello Readings is #1!
http://pocatelloreadings.blogspot.com

There's also a Minnie Howard Writer's group in Pocatello that has some interesting posts.
http://pocatellowriters.wordpress.com

Oboler Library has Library News with some interesting items
http://libpublic2.eol.isu.edu/blogs/ln/wordpress/

Marshall Public Library also has one--look for information about their upcoming used book sale.
http://marshallpl.blogspot.com

I like One Poet's Notes, a blog by poet and editor Edward Byrne
http://edwardbyrne.blogspot.com

A great website for finding more creative writing blogs is "Top 100 Creative Writing Blogs"
http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2009/02-05/top-100-creative-writing-blogs/
This site got me into adding the Academy of American Poets blog
http://feeds.feedburner.com/PoetsOrg

If all this work leaves you feeling a little stressed, check out Zen Habits. They recently had a great article on how simplicity can help creativity
http://zenhabits.net

If you know of any other good blogs for creative writers, please send in a comment about it.

Your Home Library--great for poetry books!

Have you ever wished you could easily share the titles of the poetry books that you own with other friends? Or share other subjects your home library? Social software has come to home libraries, and Library Thing (www.librarything.com) is a perfect way to get a record of the books you own, let other people see what you own, and find books you want read.

It's easy to sign up for Library Thing, and you can list 200 titles for free. If you want to list more books, there's either a yearly or lifetime rate to choose from. 850,000 other people are already on it! To play around with it a little, you can try some searches on some of your favorite authors and subjects, and explore many of the other areas on the page. I am on as IdahoJoan, and if you search me under Search, then Members and Locations, you can see my minimalist collection of books. The clouds feature is especially nice--click on it and you can see a tag cloud of what a person owns.

I looked around at poetry, writing and was referred to PoemCrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words by Susan Woodbridge, In the Palm of your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop by Steve Kowit, The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises from Poets Who Teach, and a lot more. All excellent books!

If playing around with it a little convinces you that you want to get on it, sign up is quick and easy. It will prompt you for a little personal information, and then to enter your books, WHICH you can do very quickly with ISBNs and matching the correct editions. After you have a book list, it's fun to look at the different formats, and then make a printed copy of your home library.

Janne Goldbeck speaking on "Building Spirituality"

While this isn't a poetry reading, I find Janne's speaking on spirituality nurturing to my creativity, so I thought I'd share it with Pocatello Readings.

Sunday Oct. 18, 4 p.m.: Poet and teacher Janne Goldbeck returns to Pocatello Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to talk about “Building Spirituality.” This will be held at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 309 N. Garfield, Pocatello.

"After retiring from ISU’s Department of English, Dr. Goldbeck has undertaken a second career as a lay minister in the Presbyterian Church, serving as a guest minister in Pocatello, Soda Springs, and Malad. She is particularly interested in the spiritual disciplines that are shared by all religious traditions–last year she spoke to us about spirituality in everyday life. The service coordinator is Brian Attebery, and music will be provided by Mark Niewerth. Children's RE to meet. Potluck to follow."

Take a Fall Literary Walk!

Since our fair weather days are are almost over, now would be a perfect time to take a walk and read all of the Literary Pavers in downtown Pocatello, located on Main St., Arthur, and some of the side streets in between. The Pocatello Arts Council has been working on the project for several years, and there are 24 pavers now. Find a printable list of all the pavers and their locations here, to use as a walking guide. I have enjoyed Sunday mornings paver walks because downtown is very deserted then, and I can read the poems aloud without anyone around to think I'm deranged and talking to myself. Poetry always has a fuller dimension when read aloud, I think. They also have an online gallery of photoes of all the pavers, if you want to read the full text of the poems later or when they are covered with snow.

While doing a paver walk, you may also want to detour over to the Portneuf Greenway poem stones (Bruce Embree and Anne Mullin) which are located near the green bridge and Pre-History Park. Look for the South Downtown Reach map on the Portneuf Greenway web page; it's east on West Halliday, near S. Arthur.

Pocatello Readings Blog is Back!

If you've looked at this blog and been disappointed because the newest item was from December, look again! There are THREE October readings listed below. Imagine how much fun Pocatello poets will have this month! Be part of it!

And keep checking this blog. I plan to update it with every bit of Pocatello creative writing news I can find.

Poetry Reading: SARAJEVO

Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
Old Town Actors Studio (427 N Main St.)

Join Harald Wyndham as he brings out a new book, titled "SARAJEVO--A poem for four voices in five parts." Readers are Leslie Leek, Carlen Donovan, Erin Gray, and Harald Wyndham. Books will be available at the reading.

Poetry Reading: Kate Greenstreet, Bethany Schultz Hurst, and Susan Goslee

Saturday Oct. 10th, 6 p.m.
College Market (604 S. 8th)

Recently called "challenging, electric and crisp" by Publishers Weekly, celebrated writer, artist, and filmmaker Kate Greenstreet will read from her poetry collections case sensitive and The Last 4 Things.

ISU instructors Bethany Schultz Hurst and Susan Goslee will also read. Admission is free, doors open at 5:30, and street parking is open all weekend. Save the date: join us Saturday October 10th at the College Market for deluxe coffee and deep thoughts.

If you want to find out more information on Kate Greenstreet, check this link, www.kickingwind.com.

Poetry Reading

Friday, Oct. 2nd, 8 pm
Flipside Lounge (117 S. Main St)

Come listen to Clark Karoses, Josh Mayes, and Jeff Pearson read at a new venue, the Flipside Lounge. Art work by Ryan Babcock will also be featured.